Ethylene copolymers have heretofore been molded by various molding methods, and used in many fields. The requirement for the characteristics of the ethylene copolymers differs depending on the molding methods and uses. For example, when an inflation film is molded at a high speed, it is necessary to select an ethylene copolymer having a high melt tension compared with its molecular weight in order to stably conduct high speed molding without fluctuation or tearing of bubbles. An ethylene copolymer is required to have similar characteristics in order to prevent sag or tearing in blow molding, or to suppress width shortage to the minimum range in T-die molding.
By the way, low density polyethylene obtained by high pressure radical method is applyed to the use of films and hollow containers due to the high melt tension thereof compared with ethylene copolymers produced by using Ziegler type catalyst. However, the low density polyethylene obtained by the high pressure radical method is poor in mechanical properties such as tensile strength, tear strength and impact strength, and further is low in heat resistance and stress cracking resistance.
In contrast, Japanese Patent L-O-P Nos. 90810/1981 and 106806/1985 propose a method for improving moldability by improving the melt tension and die swell ratio of ethylene polymers obtained by using Ziegler type catalysts, especially a titanium type catalyst.
The ethylene polymers obtained by using a titanium catalyst, however, especially the low density ethylene polymers generally have problems such as their broad composition distribution and stickiness of their molded articles such as films.
Of the ethylene polymers prepared by using the Ziegler type catalysts, those obtained by using chromium type catalysts are relatively excellent in melt tension but has a defect of poor heat stability. This is thought to be caused by that the chain terminals of the ethylene polymers prepared by using the chromium type catalysts tend to become unsaturated bonds.
It is known that the ethylene polymers obtained by using a metallocene catalyst from among the Ziegler type catalysts have merits such as a narrow composition distribution and a low stickiness of their molded articles such as films. However, it is described in, for example Japanese Patent L-O-P. No. 35007/1985, that an ethylene polymer obtained by using a zirconocene compound formed from a cyclopentadienyl derivative contains one terminal unsaturated bond per molecule, and hence this ethylene polymer is presumably poor in heat stability similarly to the above-mentioned ethylene polymer obtained by using the chromium type catalyst.
Accordingly, it will industrially be of great value to provide an ethylene copolymer having good heat stability, high mechanical strength and a narrow composition distribution.
By the way, ethylene copolymers generally have no polar group in the molecule and inherently non-polar, so that they are insufficient in adhesion strength to highly polar materials such as metals and polar resins. For these reasons, when such ethylene copolymers are used by bonding them with the highly polar materials, it is necessary to subject the surface of the ethylene copolymer to a flame treatment, a corona discharge treatment, a primer treatment or the like, and hence resulting in a problem of complicated operation.
Accordingly, it will also industrially be of great value to provide an ethylene copolymer composition, which has high melt tension, good heat stability and high mechanical strength and shows sufficient adhesion strength to highly polar materials.